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It is a well recited horticultural fact that growing fruit trees from pips or stones is a complete waste of time. Each will be an unknown cross and so to quote Forrest Gump, you truly ‘never know what you’re a gonna get’ which is true. This is never more so than in the case of apples, for the genus Malus has one of the most diverse genomes in... more

Tired of conventional insect repellents containing DEET and other toxic chemicals, but still want to protect yourself against pesky bugs and pests? The solution is simple: Make your own! In this article we tell you just how to create your own, all-natural insect repellents, using nothing but common household ingredients. Not only is it more... more

The reason I try to watch for the first fall is that you want to get the chestnuts as soon as they start falling otherwise they can become wormy. I try to pick the chestnuts up at least once a day.
(Editor's note: Please make sure you are 100% certain that the chestnuts you pick are of the Castanea genus. The comoon sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa... more

Vegetable gardens are an owner’s pride. They are planned and planted with great efforts. However, garden pests are one of the most prevalent problems faced by gardeners. If you too own a garden, you must have battled these pesky creatures at some point or other to protect your vegetable garden. The good news is that you need not resort to chemical... more

Our current home is a 400 year old cave house in the mountains so it sort of comes with the territory that there isn’t any kind of central heating! Although we have an open fireplace it is incredibly inefficient at burning fuel and most of the heat disappears up the chimney. With two small children in the house it isn’t the safest option either.... more

Turmeric, The Golden Herb, is known as a much treasured and versatile spice used in various dishes. However, turmeric has an extensive list of therapeutic properties. Your skin can greatly benefit from it, too. Why?
Many studies done in the last decades, confirm the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal properties of the... more

We quit our well paid corporate jobs in 2008 to find a better way of life. In 2010 we sold everything, except the contents of our backpacks, and set off to travel in order to find our true purpose in life and embrace a new economy of our own making. This is our story of discovery and richly rewarding experiences which delivered us into a new life... more

Currently many families in the Gambia have no electricity and when the sun goes down, they burn candles to provide light. This costs money of course, is not great for people’s health and most importantly, makes it hard if not impossible for children to study.
Keith and Sue Marshall set up their company Sunny Night Light to create low tech, low... more

I'm a reformed shopaholic turned eco fashion advocate and charity shop addict who would rather repair a garment than buy a new one. I was fortunate enough to have studied textiles at school and I inherited some tips from my Mum so, despite my early fast fashion habit, taking care of my clothes comes quite naturally to me.
However, I’m all too... more

Turmeric is an age-old remedy to a number of skin issues. It can lighten dark spots, treat acne and even remove stubborn stretch marks. When used properly, it can also help with wound healing and skin inflammation.
Apart from these benefits, using turmeric as part of your skin care routine can also give you the following:
Turmeric contains... more

If you do a web image search for cob baths you might be surprised how many different designs you see. At our permaculture smallholding, Carraig Dúlra, we love upcycling unwanted waste and using natural building materials. We had been donated an old cast iron bath a few years ago and really wanted to make use of it. Around the farm there are a few... more

You cannot beat the flavour of a fresh, homegrown tomato. These top tips are taken from Huw Richards Youtube channel, Huws Nursery.
1. Sow successionally. Sow half your seeds 3-4 weeks after the first batc, to get later plants, and therefore later fruit. This will extend your harvests.
2. When seedlings have two leaves, re-pot them into individual... more

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